Education and training have a prominent place in the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Two major objectives have been set in the strategy: reducing the rate of early school dropout and increasing the number of students who obtain a higher education degree. Education and training receive particular attention in the European Semester, in the key messages of the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) as well as in country-specific recommendations. Moreover, the ‘Strategic Framework for Cooperation in Education and Training until 2020’ (ET 2020) and the ‘Rethinking Education’ strategy determine the main challenges of European educational systems and define the areas that need to be improved.

For more information regarding the reforms related to the Europe 2020 framework, please visit the website of the national reform programmes.